Summer is finally here, and you’re ready for all that fun we’ve been looking forward to: swimming in the pool, going to the beach, and a few activities that may injure your ears. You might find yourself in external situations or subjected to other loud sounds this summer that are hidden hazards to your hearing. Any sounds above 80 decibels can harm your hearing, while lasting loss of hearing can take hold in swimming pools or other bodies of water. You need to take precautions and be aware of your surroundings in order to keep your hearing safe this summer season. Here are 6 of the summer’s hidden hearing risks.
When You Travel to Concerts, Put on Ear Protection
Summer is concert season, but even if you go to a venue, you still need to attend to your hearing. 90 decibels is inside the danger zone for hearing damage and live music reaches this volume even at outdoor shows. That’s why it’s always a good plan to use earplugs regardless of whether you’re seeing a show outdoors or indoors. Earplugs dampen the sound while still allowing you to hear and enjoy the music. If you’re bringing young kids to a show, think about getting them a heavy duty pair of earmuffs because kids have more vulnerable ears than adults.
Fireworks Are More Than Just Loud
Honestly, there are a lot of reasons to avoid fireworks in the summer. It’s not only the 4th of July shows which are professional that can injure your hearing, we mean the backyard fireworks which every summer season cause many of incidents. On top of causing hand injuries, blindness, and house fires, personal fireworks can also cause severe harm to your ears since they are known to get to decibel levels of 155. This 4th of July, leave the fireworks to the pros and enjoy the show from a safe and sound distance.
Hearing Loss Can be Brought About by Lawnmowers
If you’re really serious about your yard, most likely you’re out there at least once a week on your mower, trimming your bushes and using your edger. But the muffled feeling in your ears is a sign that your hearing has been damaged. That’s because the lawn tools, which are constantly loud, have a slow and steady impact on your hearing. Perhaps you’ve noticed landscapers using some form of hearing protection, next time you work on your yard with loud power equipment, you need to take a hint from them and use earplugs or earmuffs.
How to Protect Your Ears at Pools And Beaches
Huge numbers of people suffer from swimmer’s ear every summer, which happens when bacteria-packed water becomes stuck inside your ear canal. Swelling and painful earaches result when the bacteria infects the ear. These bacteria are usually found in lakes and rivers but sometimes also live in hot tubs and pools if the water isn’t thoroughly treated. No lasting damage should happen if you have your ears assessed by a hearing specialist. To be safe, when your swimming in your pool, wear specialized swimmers earplugs and keep the chemical balance precise to minimize the likelihood of getting swimmers ear.
Water Sports And Boats
If you love the water, summer is beach and boating time for you. But, jet ski and boat engines are often loud,we’re talking more than 100 decibels. Continuous exposure to that much noise for a period of around 15 minutes can bring about long-term hearing impairment. In this situation also, wearing a pair of throw away foam earplugs is a smart strategy.
Your Hearing Can be Hurt by Car Races
It doesn’t matter what type of auto racing you love, motorcycle, midget, Formula 1, drag racing or stock cars. If you attend many auto-races this summer, they all present a risk. It’s estimated that sound levels can go over 120 decibels at certain races, which is certainly inside the danger zone for hearing damage. Earplugs are your best bet at these races, although your kids should probably wear the earmuffs we mentioned earlier. If you don’t, you might not be able to enjoy the sound of those engines in the future.